Visiting the Crystal Coast with Kids
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New Bern, Pollocksville, and Havelock areas:
- Check out visitnewbern.com
- Storytime at New Bern and Havelock Public Libraries or Pinecone Home & Garden
- Craven County Smart Start Lending Library and Craft Days
- Tryon Palace – Tours, History Camp, Tales for Tots, Behind-the-scenes classes
- NC History Center
- Shows at Craven Community College, the NC History Center, NC Symphony (at Tryon Palace and Convention Center), New Bern Civic Theater, RiverTowne Repertory Players, Bear City Opry, Craven Community Chorus, Craven Messiah Chorus (Dec), and through local dance companies and schools.
- Visit Dreamers’ Foundation Family Day (Feb), Historic Homes Tour (April), Summer concert series, Dragonboat races (Sept), OktoberFest (Sept), the Chili Festival (Oct), MumFest (Oct), Christmas Flotilla (Dec).
- Shop and eat on Middle Street in New Bern, visit the Pepsi Shop, and eat ice cream at Cow Café.
- Do “New Bern by the Numbers” from geocaching.com.
- Search for bear sculptures around New Bern
- Paint at Accidental Artist or Wine & Design
- Visit the Firemen's Museum
- Enjoy an evening out at New Bern Gymnastics or Lick This! in Havelock
- Take a trolley tour, horse carriage ride, or boat or catamaran tour of New Bern; or rent a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard to explore the Neuse
- Take a nature walk along Island Creek Forest Trail or camp at Flanner's Beach; search for shark’s teeth along the New Bern Battlefield trail
- PlayDate (reading, music, Spanish, yoga classes)
- Angel Bear Yoga at Hope Resource Center (call to find out about current offerings)
- Bicycle or segway rental
- Attend a Havelock Rams or New Bern Bears sports event
- Get wet at the New Bern Aquatics Center or Sprayground
- See the Flotilla then sled in Bear Plaza during December
- Support local farmers and crafters at the New Bern Farmers' Market; go horseback riding; pick blueberries at Morris or Nelson Farm; pick strawberries at White’s or Parker Farm; take classes with 4H
- Play Frisbee Golf at the course in Glenburnie Park or Creekside Park
- Visit the Air Show at MCAS Cherry Point or see a 2nd MAW Band performance
- Craft classes at Michael’s, Sew at The Fabric Center, and Kids’ Night at Chik-fil-A
- Sweet Treats – Kiddo’s, Cravin’ A Cup, Cow Café, Bear City Fudge, Baskin-Robbins, Froyo 101, Savage’s Pizza
- Tour behind-the-scenes at Famous Bakery
Newport, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Beaufort:
- Check out the Visitor's Guide for kids
- Morehead City Seafood, Wine, & Chocolate Festivals; Newport Rodeo; Pig Cookin’ Contest; Beaufort Pirate Invasion, Summer concert series, Monster Truck Show, Rodeo, and Carolina Kite Festival
- Beaufort Public Library
- The History Place
- Shows at Carteret Community College, Morehead Center of the Performing Arts, Infusion Café, West Carteret High School, and through Carteret Community Theater
- Neusiak Trail and Campgrounds
- Kayaking, canoeing, fishing, stand-up paddleboarding, or surfing; Bicycle rental
- Nature tours: Guided kayak tour (Osprey Adventures), Rachel Carson Reserve, Cape Lookout Studies Program, Crystal Coast Ecotours; Horseback riding
- Double-decker bus tour or boat tour of Beaufort, fishing trip, or ferry to Shackleford Island, Harker’s Island, or other parts of the southern Outer Banks.
- Beaufort Maritime Museum
- Atlantic Beach (beach, volleyball, swingset, summer movies) and beach access along the island
- Fort Macon – tours, civil war reenactments, concerts, beach; free surfing lessons Saturdays
- Summer camps- sailing, archery, ballet, gymnastics, history, science/invention, art
- Craft classes at Michaels and Build to Grow classes at Lowe’s;
- Kids’ Night at Chik-Fil-A
- Kids’ weekly beach run and free surf lessons during the summer
- Decoy carving classes
- Marlins baseball, West Carteret High School sports
- Atlantic Station Movie Theater – Kids’ movies weekly during summer
- Art galleries in downtown Morehead and Beaufort
- Swim at the Sports Center; Ice skate in downtown Morehead during the winter
- Carteret County Parks & Recreation Department
- Strawberry picking at Garner Farm; Visit the animals at The Barnyard
- Carteret Partnership for Children; MOPS
- Crystal Coast Gymnastics; The Carolina Strut, Dance Arts Studio, British Dance Academy
- Parks – Shevans Park, Sugarloaf Island, Rotary Park, City Park, and Mitchell Village Park
- Sweet Treats – BrrrBerry, Twisted Spoon, Happy Cow, Atlantic Beach Ice Cream & Candy Shop, Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream, 3 Bears Popcorn,The Fudge Factory in Beaufort
- Jump n Jax
- Onslow Public Library
- Marine Corps Museum; Beirut, Vietnam, & 9/11 memorials;
- Lynnwood Zoo
- Chuck-E-Cheese
- Art Galleries
- Bear Layne – Build a stuffed animal
- Jacksonville Commons – Movies in the park, Skate & BMX Park, ball fields, tennis courts, indoor basketball court
- Kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or go boating from Jacksonville Landing; play Frisbee golf at Northeast Creek Park
- Parks – Branchwood, Brook Valley, Georgetown, Phillips, Wooten, Sherwood Forrest, Woodlands
- Recreation Centers – Jacksonville Commons, Jack Amyette, Kerr Street, and Northwood
- Craft classes at Michael’s, Build to Grow classes at Lowe’s, and Kids’ Night at Chik-fil-A
- Mike’s Farm – pumpkin patch, corn maze, holiday hay rides
- Sweet Treats – ColdStone Creamery, BrrrBerry
Cape Carteret, Swansboro, Emerald Isle, Pine Knoll Shores:
- Cedar Point Gymnastics
- Aquarium - Trick-or-Treat Under the Sea, Santa by the Sea, Family membership benefits, Behind the scenes, camps, special events, weekly preschool activities
- Public beach access
- Emerald Isle Kids Day; Mullet Festival of Swansboro; Emerald Isle Car Show
- Cedar Point Trail and Campground
- MacDaddy’s, Emerald Forest Putt-Putt, Golfin' Dolphin, Professor Hacker's Lost Treasure Golf & Raceway, and Water Boggan of Emerald Isle
- Lego Club at Emerald Plantation Shopping Center
- Jet ski and boat rentals from Beaufort Inlet Watersports
- Bear Island and Hammocks Beach State Park
- Cape Carteret Public Library
- Emerald Isle Parks & Recreation Department
- Bicycle Rental
- Kinston – Waterpark; Neuseway Nature Center & Planetarium (free kayaking and canoeing)
- Wilmington – Children’s Museum, USS North Carolina
- Greenville – Waterpark, ECU Sports, Simply Natural Creamery (in Ayden)
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